Did Zenitsu Get the Demon Slayer Mark & What Does It Look Like?
Zen’itsu Agatsuma is one of the most intriguing characters in the whole Demon Slayer series. Seemingly a coward, Zen’itsu has actually proven himself to be a very capable and powerful Demon Slayer, but also a troubled one, as he feels constant guilt for not being able to stop his master from committing suicide. The events from his past had a very clear influence on his story, and we will explore part of that story in this article. It is a known fact that a powerful Demon Slayer can, under certain conditions, activate the Demon Slayer Mark, which gives them a significant power boost under certain conditions. In this article, we will tell you whether Zen’itsu activated his Mark and, if so, what it looks like.
No, Zen’itsu Agatsuma did not activate his Demon Slayer Mark in the Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba series. He is one of a few protagonists (a notable counterpart is Inosuke) who never activated their Demon Slayer Marks, although he deserved it. But, Zen’itsu sadly never received his epic battle (as the one against Kaigaku was underwhelming), so he never actually got a proper chance to activate his Mark.
The rest of this article will focus on Zen’itsu’s story and why he never received his Demon Slayer Mark in the world of Demon Slayer. We have now provided you with the answer to the question you were looking for, but we will expand on it by talking a bit about the Demon Slayer Mark and why Zen’itsu never got the chance to activate it in the series. This article has spoilers, but only for those who haven’t seen or read any Demon Slayer episode or chapter.
There is a process to activating the Demon Slayer Mark
The Demon Slayer Mark is a mysterious mark that can be obtained and appear on the body of a powerful Demon Slayer, most usually his head, but it can also appear on other body parts. The Mark itself resembles a tattoo, scar, or birthmark. Almost every Demon Slayer has a unique pattern, probably connected to the Breathing Style they use (the Tsugikuni brothers and Tanjirō had the same marks, but this was intentional and had a symbolic value); because it resembles symbols seen on Demons, it has often been compared to them.
It remains unknown how and why such a Mark appears on the body. Still, the first recorded possessor was Yoriichi Tsugikuni, who was also the first Demon Slayer and the creator of the Sun Breathing Style, the first Breathing Style in history. It was relatively common during the Sengoku Era. Most records detailing it were lost. After the Golden Age of Demon Slayers, it became very rare, both because it was difficult to activate and because Muzan managed to decimate the Corps over the centuries. It appeared once again during the main timeline when Tanjirō and some other characters managed to activate it.
To activate it, a user must have survived a life-threatening state, including a heart rate above 200 bpm and a body temperature above 39° Celsius. Such conditions usually kill a person, but if a user manages to survive it, it means they are worthy of the Mark, as Muichirō explained.
But, the activation supposedly comes at a cost. Maintaining the Demon Slayer Mark is a complex process that requires a lot of energy, and prolonged use seems to drain the body. This is why many Demon Slayers with the Mark died young, which gave birth to a theory that the Mark is actually cursed and that each possessor will die when they reach the age of 25. We have already talked about this curse in a previous article, so we won’t be repeating ourselves here – we just thought you needed to know about the Demon Slayer Mark.
So, as we have said, Yoriichi was the first person with the Demon Slayer Mark and was also the only known possessor of the Mark who was born with it. All the other possessors of the Demon Slayer Mark activated it by meeting the conditions we have discussed above, and that’s just how it is usually activated. Yoriichi was special in so many ways, so this fact is just another addition to how special he is as a character. So, now that we have explained what the Demon Slayer Mark is and how it is activated, we can actually discuss Zen’itsu.
Zen’itsu never got the chance to activate his Mark, but he was a powerhouse character
Now, not every Demon Slayer activates their Demon Slayer Mark, which is logical once you consider that certain conditions have to be met. As for Zenitsu, he never actually activated his Demon Slayer Mark, and we will now analyze why. So, as we have said above, the conditions that have to be met cumulatively are:
- surviving a life-threatening state
- a heart rate above 200 bpm
- a body temperature above 39° Celsius
As we’ve said, these conditions have to be met, and if a person survives them, since, normally, they would be enough to kill a person, they are worth the Mark. As for Zenitsu, he has been in a series of life-threatening situations, but due to his specific nature, he has never really pushed himself to the limit (unless in a sleeping state, but he’d become quite overpowered in that state and wouldn’t really push himself too much), which is why he probably never met conditions two and three.
The only real occasion that he actually got to meet these conditions was his fight with Kaigaku, his former rival, but the fight proved to be quite underwhelming, as Zenitsu defeated Kaigaku with relative ease. The fight had an amazing emotional aspect, but in terms of the fight itself, Zenitsu never really pushed himself to the limit and never gave him a chance to activate his Mark.
Still, in terms of his skills and abilities, Zenitsu certainly deserved the Mark! We shall now analyze his powers and abilities to show you that Zenitsu actually did deserve a Mark, which is why it is such a shame that he never received it. Zenitsu’s hearing is acute enough for him to pick up even the faintest sound waves in his immediate environment. Zen’itsu’s hearing enables him to discern even a person’s most secret thoughts as time passes. Although Zenitsu has outstanding reflexes, his cowardice frequently prevents him from making the most of them.
Thunder Breathing is his primary Breathing Style. Zenitsu was taught Thunder Breathing by Jigorō Kuwajima, a former Hashira (his former Master). By using this method, the person develops demon-like power and agility. Thunder Breathing consists of a total of six different forms, but due to Zenitsu’s limited skill, he was only able to master the first form, which is considered to be the most fundamental. Nevertheless, Zenitsu has succeeded in creating a seventh posture for himself through persistent practice to outperform his classmate Kaigaku.
First Form: Thunderclap and Flash allow the user to lunge forward and attack their opponent with incredible speed. Zenitsu has honed this ability to the point of being able to repeat the move multiple times in rapid succession. Zenitsu often uses the move with the Six-Fold variation (six steps) but has been able to use the Eight-Fold variation to quickly scroll up to eight times consecutively and use the technique simultaneously.
Godspeed is an extension of the First Form: Thunderclap and Flash. Zenitsu can use this technique to further increase the speed of his Flash Thunder. The only detail is that he can only use this ability twice daily. After the second time, his legs become useless by breaking.
Seventh Form: Honoikazuchi no Kami is the original seventh form of Thunder Breathing that Zenitsu himself created; he is the only known user of this form. The user creates a dragon-like creature that emits fire and thunder. This stance, combined with the Speed of the Gods, allowed him to defeat his former entertainment partner and Upper Moon Six, Kaigaku. Shortly before Kaigaku died, Zenitsu confesses that he created this stance on his own, hoping to fight alongside him one day.
When Zenitsu is sleeping, he is at his strongest. He reaches his full capacity when his life is in jeopardy because the fear he experiences is greater than what his body can handle. When Zenitsu is asleep, he uses the sword at a high level entirely based on his instincts. But as the narrative progresses, he develops his abilities and guts. He starts to rely less and less on this capacity, demonstrating the same qualities by being self-aware.
As you can see, Zenitsu certainly deserved his Demon Slayer Mark, both because of his status and his deeds but also because he was certainly on a high enough level to merit such a strong ability. This is why it is a shame that we never got to see it, especially since its design would probably have been very cool.